The new AP phone bank is killing me

I understand the concept of having a phone bank out west (Portland? Seattle?) to collect scores in the various states so the undermanned local offices don't have to do it. I know it's the first year it's been done. But my gosh, the execution is killing me.

Each night, it seems I get two or three calls from the AP phone bank in a 15-minute span. It's always right during the deadline crunch. If it was one call, I wouldn't mind. But if I don't have the Podunk vs. BFE Tech score at 11:45, why would you call back at 11:51 asking for it again?

What would you rather have as an alternative? I think the system works pretty good as it is. Does it really take you that long to answer the phone and say "no, we don't have that score?" It's a small price to pay for a state score list.

And while it is kind of funny to hear how they pronounce certain names, these people aren't omnipotent. I'd like to see you guys pronounce some of the schools in southern California.

If you really want to keep the AP phone bank off your arse, post a list of updated scores online, give them the URL, and they'll check that and leave you alone.

What would you rather have as an alternative? I think the system works pretty good as it is. Does it really take you that long to answer the phone and say "no, we don't have that score?" It's a small price to pay for a state score list.

Click to expand...

Billy, it sure as hell does take that long when you're trying to make over eight pages.

I remember getting those calls for high school football, on deadline. They'd ask every week for the same teams that I distinctly recall telling them were 300 miles to our west and thus not only do we not cover them, we'd probably be the last paper in the state to cover them. Never stopped them from asking again the next week, though. Maybe they were hoping for something in our state's geography to have changed in those seven days, or maybe we'd be randomly called by someone at the game for no reason whatsoever.